Afterlife
by Wolfram-and-Hart-Sauron
Summary: Lindsey died in Not Fade Away, but death was just the beginning. Now, to save Eve's soul he must make a deal that will lead him into the depths of Hell.
1. Time To Die

Afterlife

By Wolfram and Hart

Chapter 1: Time To Die.

"Those guys were chumps." Lindsey said as he washed the demon blood off his hands.

"Now they're chunks." Lorne said, surveying the dead bodies of the Sahrvin. "Demon strength or no, you're quite the master swordsman."

"Well, I couldn't have done it without that high note in MacArthur Park" Lindsey said, smiling a little.

"Slays 'em every time." Lorne said, his voice sounding deader than the demons at their feet.

"Any word on the rest of the team?" Lindsey asked, and funny thing, he was actually concerned.

"For all I know, we are the rest of the team. I haven't heard squat." The demonic singer said. Lindsey could hear in his voice that he was just plain tired of this.

"That's weird." The former lawyer mused.

"They'll call." Lorne said unconvincingly.

"No. I mean me saying 'team' and meaning it." And he _did_ mean it. Sure, he'd thought about double-crossing Angel, but this "fighting the good fight thing" actually felt pretty good. "I kind of like the feeling."

"Yeah," Lorne scoffed. "Today."

"You really done with them?" Lindsey asked, already knowing the answer.

"It isn't my kind of work anymore. It's unsavory." The green lounge singer sighed.

"Gee, I think it's just getting interesting." And was it ever going to get interesting. When the Senior Partners got wind of this, all hell would break loose, literally.

"Yeah, I bet you do." Lorne said, with a hint of accusation.

"You don't trust me. You don't think a man can change?" 'So much for redemption' Lindsey thought.

"It's not about what I think. This was Angel's plan." Lorne said miserably.

"Come on." Lindsey said, not wanting to part company with his old bartender like this. "I could sing for you."

"I've heard you sing." Lorne said sadly. Lindsey barely heard the muffled pops of the gun until the hot lead hit his chest.

"Wh-what? Why did…y…you?" Lindsey asked in disbelief. Why did he shoot him? Was this what he meant? Was this Angel's plan?

"One last job. You're not part of the solution, Lindsey. You never will be." The dying lawyer didn't know if the disgust in Lorne's voice was directed towards him or to Lorne himself.

"_You_ kill me? A _flunky_?! I'm not just…" Lindsey asked as he staggered back staring incredulously at Lorne. He hit the floor struggling to breathe. He couldn't believe it, he was killed by the same demon who used to serve him Tanqueray and tonic. He deserved a better end than this, he should've gone out fighting that bastard Angel. "_Angel_ kills me! Angel…"

He felt himself slip, almost like falling asleep. If this was death, it wasn't as bad as he thought. The pain was gone, he didn't know where he was, he couldn't see or hear anything, and for a minute he couldn't even think of his own name. He was lost in a void.

"Lindsey McDonald."

Lindsey was jolted into consciousness by a voice calling his name. He looked around and saw he was sitting in a chair in an airport. He saw an old bald man standing in front of him holding a briefcase.

"Hello, Lindsey. I'm Frank, nice to meet you." The man said, extending his hand to him. Lindsey shook his hand and looked around.

"Where the hell am I?" Lindsey asked. "Last thing I remember, I was shot by a green demon who dresses like Elton John, I couldn't catch my breath and everything was getting blurry. And now, I'm here talking to you. Shouldn't I be dead?"

"Well, you _are_ dead, but you certainly ain't in Hell." Frank said, sitting down next to him. The man opened his briefcase and pulled out a file marked "McDonald, Lindsey".

"My permanent record?" Lindsey asked, pointing to the file.

"Bingo. You did cause quite a few problems on Earth. There's a lot of blood on your hands, and many crimes listed here. You were touch and go for a long time. But, your decision to help Angel eliminate the Black Thorn clinched it. The verdict is that you won't be sent to Hell, but you still fall short of gainin' access to Heaven. So, you've been sent here."

"Where's here?" Lindsey asked, looking around the huge place and noticing a few things. For starters, instead of incoming or outgoing flights, the boards listed names of people. He also noticed there was no place to pick up or drop off luggage. He saw lots of people, but everybody seemed to be arriving and nobody was waiting to leave. And, weirdest of all, he could see out the windows there were no airplanes or runways.

"This is Elysian, it's a limbo. It's a place for people who can't get sent upstairs or downstairs. It's not as nice as Heaven, but you'll still have a more or less happy existence." Frank said, putting away the file.

"Uh huh." Lindsey said, digesting all this information. "So, what happens now?"

"Now we get you settled in. As your caseworker, I've been assigned to help you adjust to livin' here. Well, not _livin'_ here exactly, but you know what I mean." Frank said standing up.

"My caseworker? What's that supposed to mean?" Lindsey asked following him.

"Everybody here is assigned a caseworker. I'm sort of your sponsor or your lawyer."

"They have lawyers up here?" Lindsey asked.

"Well, they let you in here, didn't they?" Frank asked, sardonically. "Now, let's get you home."

"I don't have a home." Lindsey said.

"You do now. Now come on, boy, eternity's a-wastin'." Frank said, heading towards the exit. Lindsey noticed the banners and signs around the place saying things like "Welcome to Elysian, enjoy your eternity!" They got outside and a line of limosines waiting at the street.

"Why all the limos?" Lindsey asked.

"All new arrivals get taken home in limosines." Frank replied. "We want 'em to start their afterlife with style."

The driver of the nearest limo got out and called "Are you Lindsey McDonald?"

"Yeah, that's me." Lindsey said, not knowing what to make of this.

"Well, climb in, son." The driver said. Lindsey looked at Frank, asking what to do.

"You heard him, get in." Frank said, opening the car door. "We have places to go, things to see."

"Thanks." Lindsey said getting in. Frank got in and shut the door and they were off. "By the way, just for future reference, what's your last name?"

"I don't have one." Frank said simply. "Angels don't need last names."

"Angels?" Lindsey asked, looking at his elderly "caseworker". "You don't look much like an angel. Where are your wings, halo and white bathrobe?"

"I bet you thought we were all little naked baby cherubs like in Hallmark cards too." Frank said dryly. "Ha, humans."

"Sorry." Lindsey said, looking out the window.

"Ah, forget it. I got over it eons ago. You enjoyin' the view?" Frank commented as Lindsey looked out the window. The place was like the quiet little town he grew up in, though without all the garbage. It looked like any other small town he'd seen on Earth, but there was just something… off. The whole place seemed brighter, the sky was clearer, the people seemed happier. Everything seemed more alive, which is odd since the population was dead. The limousine passed over a bridge and he looked out over the river. It was crystal clear, no bottles, beer cans, dead fish, plastic wrappers, pieces of paper or any of the pollution that filled the river in his old hometown. He saw people swimming, fishing and going out on boats. They looked like they were having the time of their afterlives. He turned his gaze to the forests beyond the town, full of tall green trees that he climbed as a child. And beyond the forest were mountains that seemed to beckon him to come climb them.

"This place looks awesome." Lindsey said, a little overwhelmed.

"It's OK I guess." Frank shrugged. Lindsey looked at the old angel with disbelief. "Oh it's beautiful all right, but once you've seen the splendor of Heaven, anythin' else kinda pales in comparison."

"Well, I could think of worse places to be stuck or eternity." Lindsey said, seeing a group of people playing a game of baseball.

"Well, there's a chance you won't be here that long." Frank said, which caught Lindsey's attention. "There is a chance for a promotion."

"Promotion?" Lindsey asked. "To Heaven?"

"Yep." Frank nodded. "See, people here can go back to their respective dimensions in the capacity of a guardian angel. Their caseworkers assign them to a mortal to watch over and they work to help the mortal. If they give enough service, they can be promoted to get in upstairs."

"Neat. So, where do I sign up?" Lindsey asked.

"Sorry, son, it don't work that way." Frank shook his head. "You don't choose to be a guardian angel, you get _chosen_ to be one. See, with the promise of rewards, anybody can be convinced to do anythin'. The people have to really want change before they can be eligible. The Big Boss knows what happens in your hearts, and if a person here has become truly rehabilitated, only then can they become guardian angels."

"How long will that take?" Lindsey asked.

"Depends on the person. I've seen people here for only a day before getting' chosen, and I've seen people here for thousands of years before bein' chosen. There are also a few who will never be chosen, and just stay here forever. But as you said, there are worse places to be stuck for eternity." Frank said, patting the young man on the shoulder. Lindsey smiled, he was starting to like this guy.

"What exactly keeps the people here from being rehabilitated?" Lindsey asked.

"Once again, depends on the person. We're here." Frank said as the car stopped.

"We're at my new place?" Lindsey asked, a little excited.

"Yep, and there she is." Frank said as he and Lindsey stepped out of the limo. Lindsey stepped out and his eyes went wide. The house was a total wreck. The windows were smashed, the walls were worn, the walls were full of holes, and there was a large section of the roof missing.

"You're joking." Lindsey said, incredulously.

"Not at all, boy. Let's look inside, shall we?" Frank said smiling as they walked up to the door. He pushed the door open, and it fell off its hinges. When Lindsey got inside, his amazement increased. The floor was partially collapsed and full of holes. The walls were covered in water damage and the drywall was crumbling into dust. The beams were rotted and barley holding together the room.

"This is where I'm supposed to live?" Lindsey asked, stepping lightly so he didn't fall through the floor.

"Yep." Frank said, as if he hadn't a care in the world.

"But this place is a dilapidated shit shack!" Lindsey said, kicking a piece of spackle across the floor.

"No it's not! It's a fixer upper. Just like you." Frank said giving Lindsey a friendly slap on the back. "A little work and this place'll be livable in no time."

"So I'm gonna have to rebuild this place?" Lindsey said, surveying the wreckage.

"No, _we're_ gonna have to rebuild this place." The angel said, walking back outside. "No way is this a one man job!"

"You're serious?" Lindsey called after his caseworker.

"Yeah! There's somethin' wonderful about workin' with your hands and building things." Frank said, returning with a tool kit. "It's very therapeutic."

"But this job could take forever." Lindsey said, hearing the floor creak as he walked towards Frank.

"Nah, time don't mean a thing here." Frank said pulling out a large hammer. "Besides, what's your problem? Don't tell me Mr. Big Shot Lawyer is afraid of a little work! How about that? He can be a lawyer, kill demons and declare war on Wolfram & Hart, but show him a hammer and nails and he turns into a big sissy. Ha ha!"

"Not a chance, Frank." Lindsey said, picking up a hammer. That's who this guy reminded him of, his uncle Matt. Always teasing him, and challenging him to get him to make something of himself. "But shouldn't we make a trip to Home Depot first?"

"Nah, we got all the stuff we need right outside." He said pointing to the window. And sure enough, in the yard were piles of lumber, tools and everything else needed to rebuild a house. "You'll see, boy, when we're finished with this place, you'll have the satisfaction of knowin' you built your own castle."

"Well then, Frankie, let's do it." Lindsey said, a little excited by this. He took the hammer from Frank and they started their work. 'All things considered,' Lindsey thought. 'I made out pretty good.'

To Be Continued.


	2. Getting Settled

Chapter 2: Getting Settled

"What did I tell you, kid?" Frank said, wiping his brow. The two of them stood in the front yard surveyed their work with pride. The trashy old house now looked like new. In fact, it looked better than new. "Not bad if I do say so myself."

"I can't believe we did all this in one day." Lindsey said, setting down his tools.

"Amazin' how much energy you get when you're dead." Frank said, walking over to the limo. He went into the car and came out with a couple of cold bottles of beer. "Don't know about you, but I'm parched. Let's drink to your new house."

"You guys are allowed to drink on the job?" Lindsey asked, taking the beer from his caseworker.

"Ah, alcohol doesn't affect angels like it does humans." Frank said, as he and Lindsey clinked bottles. "It don't have the same kick on a guy who spent most of his existence in Paradise."

"Then why drink it?" Lindsey asked, after taking a swig.

"May not get a buzz, but I still like the taste." Frank said, chugging his brew.

"Boy, you guys got good stuff here." Lindsey said examining his drink. "It's even better than the stuff they had in Germany."

"I'm surprised you had time to sample their beer with the Senior Partners' minions after you." Frank said. "But that's where you got the mystic tattoos, right?"

"How'd you know that?" Lindsey asked, surprised.

"I read it in your file." Frank explained. "Boy, kid, you could've made a mint sellin' the movie rights to that story of what happened after you left Wolfram & Hart."

"Yeah, it was a hell of a time." Lindsey laughed, remembering all the trouble he'd gotten into after he left Wolfram & Hart. "Like that agent that attacked me on the airplane."

"Yeah, and the other people on the plane helped you take him down cause they thought he was a terrorist!" Frank laughed along with the former lawyer.

"Yeah! Or that time I was in that Laundromat and locked those three imps in a dryer. I remember how funny it looked when they kept falling all over each other!" Lindsey said, he and Frank laughing like old friends.

"Or how about when you were in Japan and you killed those Yakuza vampires by impalin' them on that rickshaw!" Frank said, giving Lindsey a slap on the back.

"Hi there." Lindsey and Frank looked up at the sound of the chipper voice. They saw a smiling blonde woman carrying a fruit basket. "Welcome to the neighborhood!"

"Anya!" Frank said happily. The old angel stood up and embraced the girl. "How you doin'? We haven't talked in weeks!"

"Oh fine, but my charge is so difficult!" Anya said, rolling her eyes. "For starters, she throws all her hard earned money away on gambling! Why would someone throw away money on something as insane as lottery tickets?"

"Beats me, Anya." Frank said. "Care for a brew?"

"No thanks. I was just stopping by to welcome the new guy." Anya said turning towards Lindsey. "Welcome to the afterlife. I hope your death wasn't too painful."

"Uh… thanks." Lindsey said, shaking Anya's hand. 'This girl is weird.' He thought. "So, uh, you been here long?"

"Oh, just about a year." Anya said. "I was stabbed by a Harbinger of the First Evil during a desperate battle to save the world. How about you?"

"Uh…" Lindsey thought for a moment. He didn't exactly want to admit that he was shot by a demon in a yellow suit. "I died while fighting the Sahrvin demon clan."

"The Sahrvin?!" Anya shrieked. "They're like the third most powerful demon clan on the planet! Are you retarded or something?"

"Oh, real nice." Lindsey said, getting annoyed with this girl. "I was trying to help make a difference in the world by taking out the Circle of the Black Thorn."

Anya just stared at him like he had just said he jumped out of a plane without a parachute. "You tried… to take out… the Circle of the Black Thorn? So you _are_ retarded."

"Boy, this girl doesn't mince words, does she?" Lindsey asked Frank, not knowing how to react to Anya.

"That's the thing I like about her." Frank said, smiling.

"Thanks Frank." Anya said, giving the old angel a quick hug. "Well, I gotta get back, my charge is planning a trip to Atlantic City. It's going to be a long night."

"See ya later, Ahn." Frank said as Anya walked away. "Don't be a stranger!"

"Weird girl." Lindsey said, smiling at the visitor's bluntness.

"Yeah, she's different. She used to be a demon, you know." Frank said offhandedly.

"She was?" Lindsey asked, surprised.

"Yep, for a thousand years, she was Anyanka, vengeance demon extraordinaire." Frank said, gathering up the empty bottles.

"And she died fighting the First, how did that happen?" Lindsey asked perplexed.

"Long story, kid." Frank said dumping the beer bottles into a garbage can. "Still, you'll probably see more of her, so she'll fill you in."

"Well, what store should we go to?" Lindsey asked.

Frank looked at him oddly. "Store?"

"Yeah, for furniture." Lindsey said, motioning to the house.

"Oh, right! That's taken care off." Frank said, waving his hand.

"It is?" Lindsey asked.

"Yep, go look inside." Frank said, pointing his thumb at the house.

"Um, OK." Lindsey said uncertainly. The former lawyer walked up the steps to the door and pulled it open. To his surprise, the house was completely furnished. There were oak tables and chairs, velvet couches and recliners, and a king sized bed. "Whoa."

"Do you like it?" Frank asked. Lindsey hadn't even noticed his caseworker had entered the room.

"Uh, yeah. It's great!" Lindsey said, looking around. "But, uh, what about clothes? Where do I get those?"

"Go check your closet." Frank said, nodding towards the stairs.

"You're kidding." Lindsey said, beginning his ascent. He went to the closet in his bedroom and found it stocked with t-shirts, suits, sweaters, wife beaters, and jackets. He looked over at the dresser and opened a drawer. It was full of shorts, pants, jeans, dress pants, ad an assortment of underwear.

"Hope I got your taste in clothes right." Frank said as he walked into the bedroom.

"Oh you got it down right." Lindsey said happily.

"Oh, and I got you a little somethin'. It's over on the chair." Frank said pointing to a long package on a chair that Lindsey was sure wasn't there a minute ago.

"How do you do that?" Lindsey asked.

"Eh, just a trick. I like to freak out the new guys." Frank said smiling.

Lindsey walked over to the chair and picked up the package. He turned and set it on the bed and opened it. Lindsey's eyes bugged out. It was a guitar. "Oh cool!"

"I thought you might like a new one since you smashed the old one on that Fekhis demon's head." Frank shrugged.

"Well, thanks man." Lindsey said, holding the guitar and strumming a little. "Man, this rocks!"

"Glad you like it, kid." Frank said smiling.

Lindsey suddenly stopped playing and looked at Frank suspiciously. "Wait a minute. Is this really Hell? Are you giving me stuff I want so I'll get bored and go insane?"

"No!" Frank said laughing. "Though, that was a good episode of _The Twilight Zone_."

"Yeah, it was. I remember me an Eve were watching a _Twilight Zone_ marathon one night and…" Lindsey started to say, but stopped as he realized he'd forgotten about… "EVE! Oh shit!"

"What?" Frank asked.

"Eve! She's still there!" Lindsey cried, jumping to his feet. He started pacing, realization of the danger his lover was in. "Oh my God, she doesn't know I'm dead! If they take out the rest of the Circle she'll be caught in the first attack! I gotta do something! I gotta…"

"Lindsey!" Frank yelled, grabbing the man's shoulders. "Calm down!"

"I can't calm down!" Lindsey screamed, shaking Frank's hand off him. "Eve is about to be caught in the crossfire of the worst fight since World War 2!"

"OK! OK. I'll call the office and get some info on her." Frank said, pulling out his cell phone.

"OK," Lindsey said, catching his breath. "Call and find out what's going on."

"On it." Frank said, dialing the office number. "Pick up. Pick up! James, it's Frank… Yeah, hi. Listen, I need some information… I need the status of a girl named Eve in Los Angeles. No, even better, just give me a full report on what's goin' on in LA right now… Yeah, Eve… No last name, she's one of the Wolf, Ram and Hart's creations… All right, I'll wait. He put me on hold… I wish they'd change the music on this… Hi, James, what's the what? …Uh huh… uh huh… WHAT?! …Are… Are you serious?! …How did…? Oh man! … Sheesh, what a mess! OK, well how about this girl Eve? …What? … Oh… I see… I see… Well, call around; see if she's checked in anywhere… OK, bye."

"What's going on?" Lindsey asked, becoming very tense from listening to Frank's phone call.

"Sit down kid. And I think you're gonna need another one of these." Frank said, handing Lindsey another beer. Lindsey took it and sat down on the front steps and listened. Frank turned around and looked at Lindsey. He was quiet for a few moments, as if trying to find the right words. Finally, he took a deep breath, looked Lindsey in the eye and said, "The Senior Partners' wrath was unleashed. Angel told Eve that you weren't comin' back, and that it was time to go. Trouble is, the poor kid didn't have anywhere to go. With you dead and the Senior Partners out for blood, she did the only thing she could think of. She took one of the guns Angel had hidden in the office, and…"

"She shot herself." Lindsey finished the sentence.

"I'm sorry, kid." Frank said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"But… But it's OK, right?" Lindsey asked, his voice full of desperate hope. "Maybe she'll come here."

"Hope so, kid. There are a lot of places a person can end up when they die." Frank said, patting his shoulder. "And some of them are less nice than others."

To Be Continued

Author's note: Sorry it's taken so long to update. With all the other stories I'm working on, it's hard to give them all the attention they deserve.


End file.
